Display case



Nov. 2, 19 16,454

E. B. NELSON El AL DISPLAY CASE original Filed Oct. 19, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r flflesf llsaia, r QWMM Jim filmif, I Q 1 @Mwoqo Nov. 2 1926.

. Re. 16,454 E. B. NELSON ET AL DISPLAY CASE driginal Filed Oct. 19, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ya Mama Reissuecl Nov. 2, 1926.

v UNITED s'm rfa;

ERNEST B. NEnsoit AnnJAifEsT. FINDLAY, 0F ABIIZEiTE; masts.

DISPLAY cAsE:

Original No. "1,551,765; dated September 1 1925,:Serial miseassi; filed pctober' 1951922; Application v m reissue filedluly' 1,1926. Serial No. 119,980.-

Our inventionrelates toimprovements in cases for, displaying numerous kinds". of produce in grocery and-other-stores arid has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive-device in. which the conta neras no'rmaliy closed tightly by acover which ismovabletoaninoperative position, simply by tilting thecontainer in a predetermined nne -4 p V v Morefspecifically speaking, we propose to provide a display case -which is pivotally mounted on a suitable. support to permit it to be'disposed 'in a forwardly declined positijon when its contents are being displayed or t0 permit it to betilted and declinedrearwardly when the contents are being removedfthe cover servingto entirely close andglemain in a closed state w hen the container'is in the first named position and 'automaticajlly; moving to aposition to uncover one end of: the container when it is in its discharging position. H A. further object one .end" of thecont ainer so .thatit' may nornially fold intothe latter forthe purpose of dis pla ijng information relating to its contents, hut may beswung outwardly to extend above the end wall of the container when the latter is tilted in, one direction thereby preventing the contents from running over said endvwallj as they slide downwardlytowards the I same.

. thefOregoingin view, the invention reside s 'i n the novel subject matter hereinaiterdescribed and claimed, the description beingj supplemented by the accompanying drawings. I

Figure 1is aside elevation of a display device constructed in accordance with our invention. 7 i

re 2 is a view similar to Fig; 1 showingfti manner in'which the cover and contalne rfslide relatively whenthe latter is tilted;

.I Figure in'the positions shown in Fig. 2;

Figure 4 isa; longitudinal sectional view with thepa rts in the positionsshown'in' Fi f1. v igurefi showing the cover open to expose the contents of the receptaclefor removal.

as indicated by line 6-6 of Fig. 4. c

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail longitudinal is to pivot' a plate in 3 a top plan view withthe parts from the position at whichit"is conipletely closed bypthe cover 25' this cover willslide upon the container to ano en positio'n,as will; be clear by referene to and In the preferred form of construtiomjwe" mount thecontainer andit's cover het'weennj pair of vertical standards 3 which may well rise. from a pair of 'horizontal" plate's 4, adapted to rest'uponafioor, store counter, or other suitable support. A rod-'5 extends horizontally between thelower ends of the; standards?) and the" lower side of thecon}. tainer 1 which is'of elongated form;"is pre vide'd with a pair of dowiiwardly opening bearing seats "6." This arrangement efiecj tively supports the container 1 pivotally and permits said container to bereadily removed for cleaning "pi rpo'ses; z p The cover 2 preferably consists "of flajglas'si plate heldwi'thih ariapprhpriats frame? which rests upon the upper edge of tlie cOntainer 1, the "two parallel sides and one end of this frame being-provided with depending flanges "8 which engagefthe outer sideof the cont'alner to form" a tight "coni'iectio ni i The other end of theiraine is not providedjwijth a flange, in view of the fac'tfthat it must slide inwardly upon; the"container; p 4 The sides o'f the frame are pi'ovidedjnear' one end, in the present showing, with up} standingears 9, whicli 'are pivoted tothe upper'end's of the standardsffaby rivfets'or the" like '10, The space between the pivots' 10'and' the pivot" rod 5 is such as to holdthewhen these parts are tilted'to'the limit in r one" direction, as'shown'in Figs. and 4. is a longitudinal sectional View Whenthe device is in this position; its contents may readily bei' viewed through the v 2 a d Whenever an o fth 'e hg Figure 6 1s a vert caltransverse section tents are to bereinov ed, it is simply news-'- sary to'tilt the container in the opposite di'-' rection as seen in Fig. 5, for which purpose it may well be provided with a suitable handle 11. Tilting in this manner, causes relative sliding of the container and cover so that the latter is moved to an open position as disclosed in Fig. 5.

It is obvious from the foregoing description that we have evolved and produced an extremely practical and advantageous display case, due mainly to the fact that customers standing in front of the case will not be permitted to lift the cover and insert their hands into the container for removing any of the contents. Hence, the articles within the container cannot be soiled from this source, nor can the cover be left ac' cidentally open while in display to permit the accumulation of dirt within the container. Consequently, the improved structure is exceedingly sanitary. On the other hand, as soon as the container is tilted rearwardly, the then lower end of the cover will automatically uncover the corresponding end of the container to permit access to be had to the interior.

Pivoted within one end of the container 1, is a plate 12 which is normally folded into the container beneath its glass cover 2 as shown in Fig. 4, in which position it may well display the price of the contents of the container or other information relating thereto. When the container is tilted to the open position disclosed in Fig. 5, the plate 12 is swung upwardly to extend above the end of said container, thereby preventing the contents from rolling over this end as they slide towards the same.

Any number of the devices may be placed side by side as will be clear by reference to Fig. 6, in which the numeral 3' designates an additional standard spaced from one of the standards 3. The dotted lines 5 in this figure show that the pivot rod 5 may be extended to support any desired number of the containers.

Attention is directed to the fact that-the distance between the cover pivot means 10 and the rear end E of the cover, measured on a direct or straight line, is considerably less than the. direct distance from the container pivot means 5 to said rear end E, these measurements being being taken when the cover is closed as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Moreover, attention is invited to the fact that the pivot means 10 are spaced vertically a fixed distance from each other,'that is, in the present disclosure, they connect the cover and the container with portions of the standards 3 which are relatively immovable. This greatly simplifies the construction over one in which some other arrangement might be employed. e further invite attention to the fact that whereas the principal use of the invention is to display goods in one of its positions, that is an inclined position, in most cases, the novel arrangement of consired form may be used.

lVhat is claimed is p 1. Adevice of the class described comprising a support, an open top containerpivoted below its top and between its ends to said support to swing from a forwardly declined display position to a rearwardly declined discharge position, and a cover slidable upon the open top of said container and pivoted to said support at a point above the pivot of said container, the pivot of said cover being closer to the rear end thereof than the pivot of said container is to said rear end of said cover, so that said cover will be closed while said container is in its forwardly declined display position but will slide so as to uncover the rear end portion of said container when the latter is swung to its rearwardly declined discharge position.

2. A device of the class described comprising abelow its top and between its ends to said support to swing from a forwardly declined display position to a rearwardly declined discharge position, and a cover slidable upon the open top of said container and pivoted to said support at a point between its ends and spaced a fixed distance above the pivot of said container, the pivot of said cover being closer to the rear end thereof than the pivot of said container is to said rear end of said cover, so that said cover will be closed while said container is in its forwardly declined display position but will slide so as to uncover the rear end portion of said container when the latter is swung to its rearwardly declined discharge position.

3. In combination, a container, a cover for said container engaged slidably therewith, pivot means disposed at different relatively fixed elevations and located between the ends of the container and cover to pivot said container and cover for swinging froma container-closed position to a container-open position, the direct distance from the covers pivotal axis to one end of Said cover being less than the direct distance from the containers pivotal axis to said one end of the cover. causing relative sliding of the container and cover-as they are jointly swung upon said pivotal axes.

4. In combination, a supporting structure,

support, an open top container pivoted a container, a cover for said container engaged slidably therewith, pivot means disposedat difierent elevations and pivoting said cont ainerand cover to portions of the supporting means fixed against relative movement during opening or closing of the container, said container and cover being swingable upon their pivotal axes from a containerclosed position to a container-open position,

' 10 the direct distance from the covers pivotal axis to one end of said cover being less than the direct distance from the containers pivotal axis to said one end of the cover, causing relative sliding of the container and cover as they are jointly swung upon said pivotal axes,

In testimony whereof We have hereunto affixed our signatures.

ERNEST B. NELSON JAMES T. FINDLAY. 

